Monday, December 23, 2013

Okay, this is post just for a blogger friend of mine who happens to be a big fan of VW Beetles. With that in mind, lately if I spot a VW Beetle, I find myself taking a picture of it. As my friend is not on any social networking sites, this would be the only place to view my pics. There aren't that many as yet but its a start.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

This is the last food festival post of the year. The second day at Yoyogi Park's Spain Festivl [Fiesta Espana] 2013. After the previous day's reconnaissance mission, I decided it would be best to go early on Sunday and pick out a space where the rest of my friends can meet. Along with one other friend, we headed towards the festival grounds at 9:30am. We secured an excellent space and as it was still 10am, most of the food booths and very short lines or no lines at all (except for one booth serving paella), that particular booth already had a long line but we decided to get some paella at a different booth.

Since I already took pictures of most of the booths from the previous day, I'm going to feature the food straight away! Starting with the Spanish specialty of paella.

昨日は屋台の写真たっぱり撮ったので、今日は早速料理を紹介します。もちろんはじめはスペインの代表料理のパエリアだ！

Paella / パエリア

I immediately went to the steamed oyster booth for these morsels.

昨日も発見した屋台に直行、目当ては蒸しカキ。

Another Spanish specialty - pintxo / こちらもスペイン代表の食べ物 ー ピンチョス

A nice large platter of Iberico pork / うわ、イベリコの生ハム － 最高！

This was really good too, especially for a cheese lover like me. This is a three cheese risotto.

これもとっても美味しかった。チーズ好きの僕にはたまらない。 スリーチーズリゾットでした。

That doesn't look very Spanish you say? That's because it is not. While the Spanish Festival was being held in one area of the park, in another area, the Thai Loi Krathong Festival was going on in another area. I discovered that this festival translates to "Floating Crown" or "Floating Decoration" and is celebrated by making buoyant decorations and floating them down a river to pay respects to the water spirits (although there is no river whatsoever floating nearby Yoyogi Park!) By the way, this was tom yam ramen which Mikako had a craving for.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

This is the last post about food festivals (actually the second to the last) for this year as this was the final one but a first (I think) for Yoyogi Park as I enjoyed 2 days of the Spain Festival - [Fiesta Espana 2013]. I decided to check out the festival on Saturday myself before hanging out with friends on Sunday. I wanted to take a peak to see what types of foods were on offer and wanted to see how crowded it was so I would have an idea of how early my friends and I should go on Sunday.

First a couple of pictures featuring autumn colors as I head towards the festival.

フェスティバル会場を向かう途中に紅葉の色を楽しみました。

Checking to see how crowded it would be during the afternoon.

昼の混み具合はどうんな感じを見てみる。

Checking out some of the wine booths as well.

ワインの屋台もちょっと覗き見。

Next, checking out the various booths and their menu.

次、どの屋台がどういう料理を出してるのかを調査。

Street musicians / ストリートミュージシャン

I suppose I could have read the pamphlet but I like exploring better.

フェスのパンフレットを読めばよかったかも知らないけど、やっぱり探索するのが好き。

The display is cool but now, time to eat something.

ディスプレイは格好良いけどそろそろなんか食べないっと。

Gyoza is Spanish? It is if the filling is made with Iberico pork!

餃子はスペイン料理？ 中身がイベリコならそうでしょう！

Fresh Serrano ham with some olives.

ハモンセラノと２種のオリブ。

I know chili beans isn't very Spanish either but have you ever tried finding some good chili in Tokyo. And I noticed that the people running this particular booth were American so of course I had to have some.

I was joined by a former co-worker (just to let you know those hands aren't mine) and we shared a bowl of something called sopa de pescado which was a seafood soup with shrimp and clams. Very delicious.

元同僚が合流し、一緒にこの美味しいスープを食べました。オマールエビとアサリの業界のスープ。 温まる！

And since we are at the Spain Festival, we had to try at least one type of Spanish wine. We tried something called txakoli (pronounced something like cha・ko・lee) from Basque country.

せっかくスペインフェス来てるので、もちろんスペインのワインを飲みました。選んだのはバスク地方のチャコリ。

For dessert - some churros with some Spanish beers - I forget which ones though.

デザートはチュロスとスペインビール。

It was getting a little cold so we had one last snack before leaving. But instead of Spanish fare, we enjoyed ourselves some takoyaki.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sorry I haven't updated my blog. A friend of mine loaned me the entire four seasons of [Burn Notice] and I went on a marathon watching spree which made me neglect my blog, my books, and my habit of renting movies. But now that I've finished watching the series, I can go back to my normal habits, starting with updating this blog.

On a Sunday not too long ago, my wife, along with her sister and nephew went to the Seibu Dome to see Bigbang concert so I was free for the day and there just happened to be a Myanmar Festival going on - not at Yoyogi Park but at Zojoji Temple near the Tokyo Tower.